XXVIII
by TraverseTown
Summary: The Story of Organization XIII before Sora came into the picture.
1. The Cave

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Kingdom Hearts related.

So, this is a story about Organization XIII. The Story is titled XXVIII, pronounced like the number 28. The story takes place five or so years before the start of Kingdom Hearts I.

* * *

"What the hell were those things?" Muriel shouted cautiously as she ran back to the other three, carefully stowing the wooden sword in her hand-sown sash which hung pathetically from her lacy belt. The four girls exchanged mutual looks of confusion; clearly desperate for an explanation for what had just happened.

"Well if there were four of them showing up, I'm definitely not hanging around to let more of them ambush us!" Arlene exclaimed as she started off down the moonlit trail. Her tightly pulled blond hair was shining brightly; illuminated by the full moon.

The other three girls followed her lead, as they often did. Their paces increased, as did the paranoia. Their eyes were darting back and forth searching for traces of movement in the greenery besides them. Their legs moved automatically forward; having taken the path dozens of times before. The trio eventually caught up to Arlene. Muriel was gripping her wooden sword so tightly that the sweat built up around her fist. "What do you think those things were?" Muriel asked again, breaking the sound of dirt muffled footsteps with her second attempt of making sense of this incident.

"Not human" asserted Agatha; clearly shaken by their encounter.

"Well, duh Aggy," Arlene retorted condescendingly, "I don't think those thinks were ready to be striking up conversation".

"How did they do that?" shouted Bethany, "They just rose up out of the ground!" They neared their home, as the dirt paths tapered into cobblestone and the nearby streetlamps flickered into dim existence.

"We should have know better than to go into that cave!" Muriel said sternly through her steady breathing.

"It wasn't my idea!" Aggy quickly responded, "Apollo told me about it in class! He said that there was weird cave behind the abandoned warehouse! He said he lived nearby and he had heard something weird going on back there! He said he was going to check it out after school that day!""It didn't strike you as dangerous when he didn't show up to class for the next three days?" Bethany pushed, wishing she had known these details before embarking on her foolish adventure.

"What if he was hurt?" Aggy responded "What if those same things that attacked us got to him? What if-"Aggy was quickly cut off by Arlene's abrupt halt in motion. Muriel was surprised and stumbled under the distinctly risen stones beneath her feet."What is it Arlene?" Bethany asked, suddenly reducing her speech to a whisper.

"I saw something move." Arlene proclaimed sternly as she pointed towards one of the many golden square buildings draped in loose vines. "Hey!" she shouted, "I know someone's back there, so come out or else I'll make you come out!"

"What if its not a person?" spouted Muriel "What if its one of those black creatures?" A trash can rattled in the direction Arlene had shouted. Bethany, Muriel, and Agatha gathered uniformly behind the steadfast Arlene who stood her ground despite possibly being assaulted again." Out of the shadows stepped a young boy. He was about their age, and had spiky forest green hair with a shambled looking outfit. He was quickly illuminated by the off-white bulb that stood a few feet away.

"Aiden?" Bethany said, taken aback by the appearance of a familiar face. She pushed her limey green locks out of her face and stepped in front of Arlene. "What are you doing here?""Sorry," Aiden started embarrassedly, "This is my house. I was taking some old boxes out of my garage into the back alley when I heard someone shouting. I thought I recognized a voice."

"Then why didn't you step out earlier?" Aggy interjected, "You nearly gave me a massive coronary!" "I said I was sorry!" Aiden replied, clearly remorsefully upset for the aberration he was getting from Arlene and Aggy."How do you know him, Bethany?" Arlene asked loudly as she made a full one-eighty to face her friend.

"What?" Bethany said astonished, "He's a friend of a friend. His friend Natalie is in my gym class." "What were you guys talking about?" Aiden started as attention swiftly focused back on him, "Some kid disappeared?" "Yeah." Aggy recounted, "This guy Apollo told me about a mysterious cave that wasn't far from where he lived. He said he'd heard weird sounds coming from it lately, so he told me he was going to check it out that night. I didn't think much of it until he didn't show up to school the next day. I didn't want to scare you guys, so I told you that I saw the cave when I was skateboarding back there. So tonight Muriel, Bethany, Arlene, and me went into the cave. It seemed shallow and ordinary at first and there was no sign of Apollo. The suddenly the entire cave turned pitch black.""Its not my fault the flashlight broke!" Muriel interrupted, "It just died!""Yeah, I know." Aggy continued, "Anyway, the cave was pitch black, we groped our way back to the entrance. Then suddenly, the earth started to shake! The darkness from the shadows of the trees above us stretched. You're probably not going to believe us, but these small black… things came up from the flat ground in front of us. There were four of them. One jumped right onto of Bethany." Bethany flushed in embarrassment, but it was too dark for anyone to see. Aggy kept recounting their story. "Lucky for her, Muriel whipped out her wooden sword and hit it. After a few hits from Muriel they all sort of… faded into smoke."

"Yeah, who knew the wallflower had it in her?" sneered Arlene.

"Shut up!" Muriel retorted impulsively. "I took kendo for 3 years!" She pushed her curly silver hair out of her naturally chubby face

"You're saying these creatures rose up out of the ground and exploded into smoke?" Aiden asked sounding astonished, "What did they look like?""They had small round heads with beady yellow eyes." Bethany began, "The had stubby little arms and legs, but they could jump like six feet in the air! And they had these gross antenna!""Antennae!" corrected Muriel."Sure." answered Bethany blandly "They weren't like any animal I'd ever seen! One jumped on me and I didn't hear a sound coming from it, or a heartbeat or anything!""Yeah, I never wanna see one of those things ever again" Aggy exclaimed with disgust.

"Then I'm afraid you will be surely disappointed." came a monotone voice suddenly from nowhere. At that moment, an orb of pure black rose from the cobbled ground like a rounded pillar and stopped about seven feet in the air. All five were taken aback by this sudden event and Muriel let out a deep gasp. A tall figure stepped out of the pillar, which hover ominously in the air behind him. The figure wore a jet black coat. He took another step, which brightened his icy blue hair and shined down on his indistinguishable "X" shaped scar on across his face.

The five were stricken with surprise and fear which prevented any movement. They all stared at the figure who stood sentinel in front of them. Again shadows of the buildings around them stretched and small flat figures materialized only a few feet from them. The same black creatures from earlier began to rise. This time there were a dozen. Or maybe two dozen. They surrounded them from all sides.

Given a sudden burst of courage, Arlene jumped back and swiped the wooden sword from the frozen Muriel's sash; knocking the helpless girl to the ground. With a grunt of rage, she began to swing the sword vigorously at the creatures to their left. Arlene was far outnumbered. Within seconds, the sword has fallen out of her hands and out of sight; hidden by the blackness of the shadowed creatures. The creatures closed in. Bethany watched in horror and several tackled Arlene to the ground. She too was lost in the blackness of the ferocious beings to her feet.

"Help!" shouted Muriel as several of the creatures grabbed her ankles. Aggy spun to help, but she too was engulfed in the shadows until she and Muriel were erased from sight. Before she knew what happened, Bethany was flat on her stomach, a heavy force pinning her to the grainy stone. She turned her head slightly and saw Aiden facing her, who slowly became invisible and faded out of view. She lifted her head up, suffocated by the heavy force. She saw the figure with the icy hair standing emotionless where he had emerged moments before. Bethany no longer saw anything. She was swallowed by the darkness. The liquidity of the shadows drowned her as she slowly lost consciousness

"Consider yourselves lucky." said the monotone voice.


	2. The Gate

Disclaimer: I don't own anything Kingdom Hearts related.

* * *

She was Bethany. And she was not Bethany.

A swirl of thoughts rushed into her head. She took her first new breath. The air forced its way into her lungs. She had been swimming, she thought. She felt heavy, dragged down by an invisible weight attached nowhere to her body. She opened her eyes. She wouldn't have able to tell. It was black all around her, the world seemed brighter with her eyes closed. She just told herself to go up. Up. Up. She wasn't underwater. She could breathe, but she couldn't see. Her mind wasn't straight, she was frantic and her thoughts jumped like a frightened animal. She didn't feel any pain. She didn't feel anything.

She squeezed her eyelids tightly shut. She felt a burst of cold.

She opened her eyes again. It was no longer black. It looked like a forest. The sun was setting and she felt the grass stick to her cheek, which was pressed firmly against the ground. Her body automatically stood up. She looked around and she saw a large golden stone wall. There was an old looking iron gate in the center; guarded off by an intimidating gray lock. She looked down at herself. She wasn't wearing what she was wearing before. She wearing a short off-white dress and light blue sandals. She wondered about the unlikely change of outfit.

What had happened finally came back to her. Where was Aggy? Where were Arlene and Muriel? Where was Aiden. How did she get here?She took a step forward. And then another. It felt different than it did earlier. It wasn't particularly cold outside, but she felt chilly and vulnerable. It was unsafe to be in her skin. And not just because of those black creatures. She didn't feel like herself. It was cloudy in her brain. She wasn't Bethany. She was someone -Bethany took a long foggy blink, when she opened her eyes, the black orb was rising from the ground again. She took a defense step backwards. Not-Bethany grabbed onto her white dress as if she was a young child.

The shadowy pillar formed again. She thought she would be afraid to see it again, but she wasn't. She wasn't afraid at all.

The man with the icy hair step out. His indifferent look sat upon his face which shined out with his "X" scar between his eyes."I see you survived. I'm surprised." the man said in his monotone voice, condescendingly down towards the vulnerable girl.

"I…. survived?" Not-Bethany said weakly. She was taken aback by her own voice.

"You kept your form." He retorted confidently. "Only those strong of heart keep their sanity and memories after losing their existence."

She didn't know what to make of that statement. "Losing… my existence?" she chirped quietly. "I don't exist?" That might explain what she was feeling, or rather, not feeling.

"No. I'm sorry. You don't really exist. You aren't meant to." spoke the "X" faced man, "And neither am I."

"Who…. are you?" she asked in an almost whisper."I could ask you the same thing." he replied, "Who are you?""I'm Be---" she began to speak her name, but it wouldn't leave her mouth. "I'm Beth---", she still couldn't finish.

"Bethany?" he asked. She nodded. "You mean, you were Bethany." Her eyes opened wide. She felt as if she had died, and she was hearing her own obituary. The icy haired man took a step forward. Not-Bethany didn't budge, her eyes transfixed on her feet.

"My name is Saix. You are lost. You are a Nobody. I will give you purpose."She had sank to her needs. She felt the warm mud on he legs. She looked up and saw Saix staring down at. He. Golden letters began to appear in the air above her head in arms length of Saix's gloved hands.A "Y". A "N". They were backwards. An "A". An "H". She knew what they were spelling. A "T". An "E". And finally a "B".

Her not-name was spelling out in front of Saix. Suddenly, they began to spin around her head. They started off slow, but slowly the letter became indistinguishable to read. Their pace quickened. Saix stuck out his and masterly thrusted his hand forward into the path into the transparent storming letters. In its path it left a golden "X". The other letters stopped their spinning and moved in the wake of the "X". They began to line up behind the "X". They formed a new -Bethany looked to her left. She saw beyond the gate and saw an old mansion. It was clearly ancient and looked unkempt. She saw it and knew it was different. Something was different about this place. About the mansion and whatever lied beyond the wooded forest."Welcome to the Organization." Saix announced dutifully. "Number XIII."

"Tebyhanx."

Not-Bethany, rather, Tebyhanx heard her new name. It sounded right.

* * *

Bethany's Nobody name is Tebyhanx, pronounced: [Te-byh-anks]. She is number XIII (No.13)

I hope by now you know where the black creatures were and where Bethany appeared when she lost her heart.

Please review. :)


	3. The Explanation

Tebyhanx still felt out of place. The sensation that she was in danger had suddenly left. She stiffly rose from her knees, still looking towards the ground.

"Here." Saix said. Tebyhanx raised her head in time to catch something waving and black between her arms. It flew back into her chest. She stared at it confusedly. It was black fabric, rather, a robe or coat. It seemed to be just her size and was outfitted with numerous zippers that added to the air of mysterious about the jacket.

"What-" Tebyhanx started.

"Put it on." Saix interrupted, "It is an honor to wear the coat. Do not reject it."

Tebyhanx found the bottom of the flowing garment and slipped it over her head. It fell gracefully over her body as she outstretched her arms through the sleeves. As she pulled her head through the neck of coat, the vulnerable sensation left her. She felt new power. Her coat matched Saix's nearly perfectly. Tebyhanx was shocked to look down at the rest of her body. Her sandals had been replaced with matching pointed black boots and smooth leather gloves sat upon her hands. She look questioningly at Saix. "What is this?"

Saix began his explanation: "We Nobodies are not meant to exist. We are the rejects of the world, who only be because our hearts we strong enough to survive being bombarded by the darkness. That cloak prevents the darkness from enveloping us further, especially the way we travel." As Saix said that, he gestured behind him towards the stormy pillar of blackness behind him.

"Travel?" Tebyhanx repeated I her meek semi-whisper.

"Nobodies are merely nothing but shadows, and we travel as such. The cloak protects what is left of our bodies."

Tebyhanx thought of how he used "us" and "we". Were she and Saix alike. After all, he attacked her and her friends; why didn't she hate him?"

What were those black…. things?" Tebyhanx continued in her line of weak questions.

"Heartless." Saix replied firmly, "When a heart is overtaken by darkness, two things happen. The heart becomes tainted. The person loses all traces of their humanity. The darker the heart, the more monstrous the Heartless."

"There are Heartless worse than those?" Tebyhanx asked.

"The Shadows you encountered are only their more basic forms." He retorted, "The Heartless have an ever growing insatiable hunger for more hearts; to increase their ranks of their armies."

"What's the second thing that happens?" She pressed.

"You." He answered staccato, "A Nobody is born. Those whom contained strong hearts retain their human form and memories like you and I. Those with a weaker existence simple join our army. You see, even the weaker Nobodies, simply shells of their former life, are not as animalistic as their Heartless counterparts. They follow our orders."

"Our orders for what?" she asked.

"To collect hearts." He answered briefly.

"Then why was it that the Heartless that attacked us and not your Nobodies?" she said as her confidence grew slightly with every bit of knowledge.

"Even the Heartless couldn't resist the strong hearts of your former friends."

"Former?" she said tensely."That why I said it was surprising you survived; that you kept your human form." Saix answered back. "All five of you did."

Tebyhanx was "shocked" by this news. She had barely expected herself to survive the Heartless' attack, why would she expect the rest of them. That meant Agatha, Muriel, Arlene, and Aiden were still themselves. Or were they? After all, Tebyhanx was not Bethany.

"What is the Organization?" Tebyhanx asked, filled with the new impression that her friends existed in some form.

"It is a group. A group of Nobodies." Saix explained slowly. "We wish to become whole again; to regain our hearts. Only through Kingdom Hearts can we become whole. By harnessing the power of Kingdom Hearts we will control all worlds. That is the purpose of the Organization."

"If you want to become whole," Tebyhanx began with false rage, "Why did you create more of us? Isn't that defeating the purpose?"

"In all honesty," Saix replied, "We didn't expect you to survive; just adding another Dusk to our army."

"Well it didn't exactly turn out that way now did it?" Tebyhanx retorted sarcastically.

"It is a strange anomaly. I received word that simultaneously with my assault on you in your home world, there coincided attacks on other complete beings. Our members Xigbar, Zexion, and Luxord are reporting many other humans retained their human forms after being attack by Heartless."

"How many?" Tebyhanx asked curiously.

"Assuming none of them stray from their destined path," Saix replied, "eighteen new members."

"Eighteen!?" Tebyhanx echoed loudly.

"That brings our total members to twenty-eight."

"Twenty-eight Nobodies?" Tebyhanx asked as her voice fell.

"Yes." Saix answered shortly.

The flow of information was confusing all at once. Tebyhanx couldn't help but feel kinship with Saix, despite his unfriendliness.

"What now?" Tebyhanx asked without thinking.

"It's time for you to go home." Saix retorted.

"Home?" Tebyhanx's mind filled with images of her town and the warm hug of familiarity it would bring her.

"Rather, your new home." Saix corrected himself.

"How do we get there?" Tebyhanx wondered.

"You are one of us now. You have permission to use our Corridor." Saix answered in a brotherly voice.

"How do I---" she started as her limey green hair blew in the increasing breeze around the gated mansion.

"Just imagine where you want to go." Saix answered. "Imagine going to your friends." Tebyhanx thought of Muriel and Aggy and Arlene standing together. Her hand automatically flew out in front of her with her palm wide open. Just as it had before, the black pillar rose up from the ground where Saix's had stood just moments before.

Tebyhanx turned her head to Saix. "Something tells me you will fit in quite well with our brethren."

All weakness had left her. Her act left her feeling strangely powerful. Just as that thought crossed her mind, something bizarre began to happen. A light began to glow in her hand. It grew thing and vertical and tipped into a round shape at the top. As the light faded, something remained in Tebyhanx's hand. A long bronze staff that reached from the ground to her shoulder. On top sat a glowing emerald green orb surrounded by two hover bronze rings that were spinning around the orb magnetically.

"Your weapon." Saix proclaim, apparently unaffected by the staff's sudden appearance.

Tebyhanx stared at the staff, and then at the Corridor. She took one step towards it. And then another. She stepped through. She felt the blackness surround her, but the drowning sensation was gone. The darkness was invigorating.


	4. The Homecoming

The light came back into view. Tebyhanx let the white void fill her eyes and erase the blindness. Before she knew it, she was out of the Cooridor. She was standing on a white platform. The sleek walls around her was all white and gray. She stood locked in place, still allowing her eyes to readjust from the darkness. After a moment, she was shoved aside.

Saix emerged from behind her. He pushed her aside and continued walking forward. Tebyhanx watched him walk away from her. "Are you coming?" Saix asked.

Tebyhanx speed walked and reduced her pace until she was slightly behind Saix's flowing coat. "Where are we?" she asked, darting her eyes back and forth.

"Home." replied Saix dryly, "A sanctuary for we Nobodies".

Tebyhanx saw the eerie architecture around them and the repeating anchored logo displayed throughout the mysterious location. She looked up to ask Saix, but he began talking automatically.

"This place is called The World That Never Was. It, like us, has no heart, and is not meant to exist. The Organization uses it as our stronghold and base of operations".

"What's that symbol?" she asked.

"The symbol of the Organization", he replied.

Tebyhanx looked up at where she was walking, further intrigued by the existence of a Nobody Castle. She saw another person up ahead. He was wearing the same cloak as the two of them. She couldn't make out his features, but she observed his spiky beige hair. She noted the weird blue object in his hand. As she got closer, she saw that it was a guitar.

"Hey Sunshine!" the man called as he looked up from his instrument and saw the two of them nearing him. "Who's this leafhead?" Tebyhanx was offended at the image of her hair looking like leaves.

"Demyx, this is one of our newest members." Saix pronounced dutifully, "Number XIII, Tebyhanx."

Demyx looked at Tebyhanx thoughfully, clearly thinking something more sinister inside his twisted brain. He leaned his guitar against the wall.

"Welcome to the team, Tebby!" Demyx spouted playfully as he rubbed his palm into Tebyhanx's hair. Her confidence had not left her. She brushed him off.

"Just rocking out on my Sitar." Demyx continued unabashed.

"Then please do it in your own chambers, no one wants to hear your noise." Saix replied unashamed.

"Oh, you know you love it!" Demyx said as he stood up straight and took a few steps away. "Nice meeting ya Tebby! See ya at the initiation!".

Demyx took a turn down the adjacent hallway and faded into the shadows.

"Fool." Saix said to no one. He continued walking forward and Tebyhanx followed puppy-like behind him. The two of them traversed the castle, going up stairs and riding in a sinister elevator.

They found themselves in a frigid bedroom. Everything in the room was sharp and square-like. It was the opposite of comfort. It was nothing like Bethany's room. But Tebyhanx didn't care. She sat down on the the surprisingly soft bed.

"You be staying here." Saix droned. "Remain here until the initiation. I've been informed that there are significantly more new members than we had anticipated."

Without another word Saix left the room. Tebyhanx looked around. The familiar symbol was at the head of her bed. She looked out the window. There was no glass between the outside and her room. She felt like she was in outer space. Her room was in a high tower of the castle. She thought of her friends. She wondered if they could be in the castle as well.

She look up to the highest point she could see. She saw a tall silver haired man with darkened skin staring into the black sky.


	5. The Initiation

Tebyhanx counted the thrones Twenty-Eight.

It was a large round room. The thrones were in a circle again the walls. Some of the thickly armed chairs were higher than others. One in particular almost reached the ceiling. The scene was an ominous one. Eleven figures sat in the highest thrones. The others remained low to the ground.

There was almost as many people in the room as there were thrones. There were twenty-seven people. Tebyhanx was not seated. She stood in line with others. Everyone in the room had their hoods up. Tebyhanx stood second closest to the right. A tall figure stood straight up on her right. A squat shivering figure stood to her left.

She heard commotion coming from the doorway, but she didn't want to break the line to look. She heard a soft male voice whisper apologies to the person.

Simultaneously, the cloaked figure on the highest throne removed his hood. It was the silver haired man. The looks on his face we complete unable to be read. He spoke. His voice was louder than to be expected in the large cavernous room.

"Salutations." he began, "Welcome members both new and old. For those of you who do not know, my name is Xemnas. I am the leader of our Oganization. Let me make this clear. We Nobodies have one purpose: To become whole; to regain what we have lost." Tebyhanx could see the leadership qualities in this man, he commanded total attention from the room. No one broke eye contact with him.

"We face a dilemma," Xemnas continued, "Our Organization has become an army. Our numbers have increased from eleven to twenty-eight in less than two days. This is due to a vast effusion of darkness coming from all worlds. I assume many of you have encountered the Heartless. These creatures are both our worst enemies and our greatest allies. They have stolen ourselves from whom we desire to be. However, they hold the key to our redemption. We await the day for ourselves to be gifted with the miracle that is the Keyblade. Without it, our goal cannot proceed. Unfortunately, the Keyblade has been long asleep, waiting to be revealed within a new master. I cannot reveal the extent of our plans at this time, but you will all be enriched by its fruition." Xemnas took a big pause. Tebyhanx couldn't resist Xemnas' words. They sounded valuable; made her feel like she was part of something more important.

"I will now perform our first role call." Xemnas continued. "I am Xemnas: The Superior of the In-Between".

One of the lower thrones bearers removed their hood. Beneath it was a dark haired man clearly older than Xemnas. His face was distinct with scars and an eye patch.

"Xigbar: The Freeshooter"

The next man had long flowing hair even darker than Xigbar's. He sat straight up in his throne. He was the tallest in the room. He had a no nonsense look on his face.

"Xaldin: The Whirlwind Lancer"

The next man was the complete opposite of Xaldin. He sat hunchbacked in his throne. He threw off his hood to reveal icy blonde hair. He seemed composed, but his eyes were wide, focused on one of the figures that stood in the line of new members.

"Vexen: The Chilly Academic"

The next man was the largest built of all of them. He seemed giant compared to some of the others. He had a very distinctive chin and slicked back orange hair. His face seemed just as solemn as Xaldin's.

"Lexaeus: The Silent Hero"

The next man was a heavy contrast to Lexaeus. He was short. Shorter than Tebyhanx herself. He had grayish blue hair that was short, but long enough to spike up and fall to cover his eyes. He seemed to concentrating on something else, but still gave his attention to Xemnas' announcement of the names.

"Zexion: The Cloaked Schemer"

The next man was Saix. Tebyhanx was surprised to see he was only Number VII. He presented himself much more professionally than people like Xigbar. His stance was just a intimidating as Xemnas'.

"Saix: The Luna Diviner".

The next man had firey red hair that clearly surprised everyone else in the row of new members. His face was not emotionless, but was keen with a clever smirk. The tattoos under his eyes made his glares only further confusing.

"Axel: The Flurry of Dancing Flames"

The next man to remove his hood was Demyx. His expression was similar to Axel's but the look in his eye was different. He seemed slightly bare without his sitar.

"Demyx: The Melodious Nocturne"

The next man had blonde hair slightly darker than his skin. He had facial hair on his chin and a slight hint of a smirk. He was clearly a deep thinker.

"Luxord: The Gambler of Fate"

Tebyhanx was surprised that the next man's hair fit under his hood. It pop out humorously when he removed his hood. The room filled with a pleasant aroma at his appearance. His bushy magenta hair and his creamy complexion gave of an air of elegance.

"Marluxia: The Graceful Assassin"

That was the last of the throned figures. Xemnas' voice changed back into its more pronouncing tone.

"It is time for our new members to take their rightful places within our ranks."

Xemnas gestured down to the figure besides me. They removed their hood. It was Arlene. She looked in place with her tightly pulled back blonde hair. Tebyhanx thought Arlene looked better in her boots than she did. Arlene looked just as confident as any of the other previous members.

"Larxene: The Savage Nymph"

She strutted confidently to a throne. She took a seat. As soon as she was placed, the throne rocketed upward to a leave slightly beneath the other members.

Tebyhanx was so concentrated on Larxene, she almost missed her cue. She removed her hood. She felt vulnerable as all eyes in the room fell on her. She saw no notable reaction from Larxene. She tried to make herself seem as confident as possible, covering up her abundant nervousness.

"Tebyhanx: The Efficacious Cleric"

Tebyhanx was confused by the name. She had only been in the Organization for a few hours. How did they give her a title already? She walked up to the throne directly adjacent to the one Larxene sat in. Tebyhanx raised up high, exactly in level with Larxene's. She turned and gave a friendly look towards Larxene, but Larxene seemed entrenched in something else.

The next figure removed their hood. It was Muriel. She was the farthest thing from confident she had ever seen. She had tried to stare ahead blankly, but it had come across more as confused than as powerful.

"Elmxuri: The Stalwart Farrier"

Tebyhanx almost laughed cruelly. Elmuri didn't roll easily off the tongue and she seemedhe opposite of 'stalwart'.

Agatha was next. She was slightly better off than Elmxuri, but was just as nervous as Tebyhanx. Unlike the other two, she made friendly eye contact with Tebyhanx. Her smoky waves of hair made her seem at home in her black leather cloak.

"Taghaxa: The Forceful Vacuum"

As expected, the next figure was Aiden. He seemed different somehow. He didn't have an air of confidence about him. He seemed almost dizzy and pale.

"Dienxa: The Mysterious Vapor"

He moved robotically to his throne. Something seem very off with him. Tebyhanx wishes she hadn't gotten him involved. He was just a bystander; he hadn't meddled in the cave. Tebyhanx thought of her friends. They had all had no hearts. Were they even still friends?

It would become clear throughout the rest of the role call that all of the new members were slightly younger than their superior counterparts, save for Zexion.

The next member was no anyone Tebyhanx had ever seen. He had long sharp green hair in a similar shade to her own. His eyelids seemed to be drooping as Xemnas called his name

"Qiunnx: The Agrarian Shaman"

The next member had his crimson hair matted down into his face. His eyes were so covered that it was a shock to know he could even see in front of him. His skin was just as pale as Dienxa's, but his face was covering in unsightly blemishes.

"Xered: The Enervating Empath"

The next member was breathing heavily. He had short wavy orange hair that bobbed up and down as his chest heaved. It was impossible to tell whether he was excited or nervous."Loxs: The Luminous Inferno" After Loxs, the next person to lower his hood seemed like a professional. He had dark blue hair that was combed back, revealing a massive forehead. It didn't take away from his confident expression that allowed him to stand out from the other male newcomers.

"Mavrex: The Charmer of Vigor"

Tebyhanx laughed inside her head. They had no idea how accurate that name was.

The next member was a girl. She reminded Tebyhanx of the popular crowd as school. She had a similar confident air to her that mirrored Mavrex. The two knew each other, which Tebyhanx assumed by the playful wink Mavrex gave the girl. She had similar blue hair which smoothed over her head and landed gracefully on her shoulders.

"Cohaltrext: The Briny Sprite"

Tebyhanx laughed in her head once more. Tebyhanx was clearly not the stupidest name.

The next member seemed more sinister in demeanor than the past few newcomers. He was hunched over similarly to Vexen and had spiky black hair and deep black make-up under his eyes. His expression seemed as emotionless as Lexaeus.

"Azenx: The Arcane Shadow"

The next girl who took off her hood reminder her of the girls in school that sat in the back of the class and never talked. She had bright violet hair that streaked vertically onto her chest and perfectly square glasses that reframed her empty eyes.

"Trigxbed: The Venomous Vixen"

The next member seemed as generic as a background character in an old cartoon. He had a blank expression on his face that showed neither nervousness nor confidence. He has stone grey hair that you'd see on a door-to-door salesman.

"Cryox: The Hypnotic Attractor"

The next girls seemed to fly by in a blink. Nothing in particular made them stand out from anyone else. A girl with sandy brown hair that fit tightly to her head with a come-hither look.

"Xhantia: The Dusty Dryad"

An insane girl who had yellow hair brighter than Larxene's and an explosive expression that looked hyper enough to bounce off the walls.

"Nerxi: The Lucid Paladin"

The last girl had her eyes closed peacefully when she removed her hood. She didn't open them for several seconds and she looked placid and relaxed as she listened to Xemnas call her name.

"Xerice: The Sonar Nightingale"

The last member removed his hood. She saw Taghaxa lean back into her seat. The final member was Apollo, the classmate that had enticed Agatha into going into the cave. Tebyhanx saw his buzz cut hair style with a similar excited expression to Axel or Demyx.

"Plaxolo: The Mirrored Echo"

Every throne had now been filled. Larxene was on one side of Tebyhanx and Elmxuri was on the other. Xemnas began another pronouncement.

"Let me be clear. Our increased number will not lead to anarchy. If there is any indication that our members are not following orders or gathering rebellions, they will be quickly…" Xemnas paused "… extinguished." Tebyhanx could feel a silent gulp of anxiety throughout this round chamber. Xemnas continued

"Our goal is clear. Gain influence through the worlds. Investigate the Heartless. And solve the mystery behind our existence." Tebyhanx felt like part of a family; working toward one goal. However, some hostility was vibrating in the air. Xemnas went on.

"None of the members initiated today are permitted to leave the castle without the attendance of a seniors member. Also, the Gray Area lounge is off-limits to our newcomers; it is a privilege that must be earned. Remember our goal. Our next meeting will be concerning additional lessons for our new members. We will meet sometime in the next few days. This meeting is adjourned."

Xemnas snapped his fingers and the thrones of the newcomers dropped to the ground. Some of the higher thrones had their inhabitants disappear in a cloud of white thorns and black smoke.

The newcomers had their first taste of autonomy as their thrones reached the ground and they stood up for the first time.


	6. The Drum

The new members weakly stepped up from their thrones. Their legs were weak from the pressure, despite having only been sitting for less than five minutes.

Tebyhanx couldn't bear to make eye contact with anyone. It was almost shameful. She forced herself and she ended up looking at Taghaxa's bony chin. Her head tilted upward and saw her old friend's blank expression. She had been with Arlene, Muriel, and Agatha only hours ago, but it could have been years. It became more evident than ever that these creatures had no hearts. She felt nothing for her friend. She didn't feel guilt for not escaping the Heartless. She didn't feel relief that her friends had survived. She didn't feel sad that she could no longer return to her homeworld.

Tebyhanx and Taghaxa stared at each other. Tebyhanx saw her eyes dart quickly away, but slowly return to their transfixed position.

"Hey." Tebyhanx began, take the first plunge into their new existence.

"Hey." Taghaxa responded robotically. The silence burned into Tebyhanx's ears.

"So" Tebyhanx started and then stopped, "What happened?"

"Well," Tagahax began monotone, "I hit my head really hard on the ground when the Heartless attacked. I woke up in this desert. The sky was fogy and yellow and the sand was like black crystals. These weird rusty looking lizards started attacking me. Xigbar showed up, finished them off. He gave me my name. I like it, its pretty badass."

Tebyhanx knew that Taghaxa and Agatha were not the same person. Agatha had always been modest and easygoing .She was always up for an adventure. Although the cave had been the worst, that was the only debacle she had gotten them into. When the four of them were younger, Arlene had trapped Muriel in an underground tunnel they had found next to the post office. Arlene wouldn't tell us where she was hidden, so Agatha told Muriel's parents that she was sleeping over. Muriel was in that tunnel for nearly two days Arlene anted up. Muriel had seemly slightly off ever since then. Muriel never made a big deal about it since she had food and water with her, but Bethany had always senses some tension between Muriel and Arlene.

Tagahax continued, "Then Xigbar helped me with my new weapon." Something large and round appeared near her abdomen. It was glowing brightly similarly to how Tebyhanx's staff was glowing the first time it appeared next to the mansion gate. The light thickened and the round shape filled out. It was a drum. The base was sleek and dark purple. The beaten part of the drum was metallic and silver and the connection pipes lined down to the bottom. The iconic Nobody symbol was ordained in the center. A moderately thin shiny black leather strap connected it around her neck. She was holding two short dark purple batons, presumably to beat the drum. Tebyhanx stared at the drum in awe. It's summoning seemed to have caught the attention of some of the other people around her.

"Awesome, right?" Taghaxa boasted.

"What can it do?" Tebyhanx asked thoughtfully, trying to build a bridge with the shell of her friend.

"Watch!" Taghaxa said in at a suddenly raised volume. She had a vicious glint in her eye. She raised and twirled her baton. She slammed them down upon the snare drum three times fast. For a split second, it looked like nothing had happened, but before she knew it, Tebyhanx was off the ground. She flew suddenly backwards at an alarming speed. It wasn't like she had been knocked back by an object, but more of a forced movement as if a sudden unfeeling wind had blown her off her feet. She spun vertically in the air and hit something hard.

It was a person. Tebyhanx had flown backwards 20 feet and was lying on her back not far from the wall. She looked up. She caught a glimpse of the monstrous man, Lexaeus, staring at her from above. He was the last one at his throne. She propped herself up on her elbows. Her head filled with memories of fury. She regained her sense of direction and saw Taghaxa standing confidently with her drum. The other members had stepped a safe distance away.

"What did you to that for!" Tebyhanx shouted in her direction.

"Sorry, I guess I don't know my own strength." Taghaxa said with no regret in her voice.

Tebyhanx turned and saw the person she had hit. It was the kid with the leafy green hair. He was sitting up rubbing the back of his neck and wincing in slight pain.

"Sorry." Tebyhanx said as they both stood up. Subconsciously, her orbital staff appeared in her hand. She automatically tapped it gracefully against the ground. A sphere of green light rose up from the ground and surrounded Tebyhanx and the green-haired kid. When the ovular sphere had joined at the top, the two of the began to be covered in misty green rain drops. Tebyhanx felt rejuvenated. The sphere dissipated, but neither of the two were wet at all.

"That was awesome!" the leafy-haired kid said with enthusiasm.

"Thanks." Tebyhanx returned thoughtfully.

"I feel totally better! How did you do that?" he asked.

"I don't know" Tebyhanx responded, "It came naturally I guess. You're Qiunxx, right?"

"Yeah." he replied.

"I'm Tebyhanx." she answered back non-threateningly.

Tebyhanx turned her head. The crowd seemed equally impressed with her healing rain as they had been about Taghaxa's Drum Force Blast.

"Quite the introduction, huh?" Tebyhanx joked.


	7. The Proof

They had been separated into groups by some of the senior members. Tebyhanx was in a group with Xered, Cohaltrext, and Trigxbed. They all seemed like ordinary people, nothing more than you'd expect from a Nobody. Their group leader was Zexion. All of the gtoups were taken on tours of their new home. The Grey Area was apparently a lounge, but Tebyhanx got the feeling that she would not be comfortable in there. Luckily, it was normally off limits to the new members. Zexion led them out of the Castle into a place called The Dark City. It was an unusual place devoid of life. It was perpetually nighttime and completely uninhabited. Zexion said it was formed from the dark desires in people's hearts.

Throughout the tour, Xered had been intently focused on the details and seemed to hang on Zexion's cold words. Cohaltrext would make affirmative noises on occasion and nod to any interesting tidbit of information. She would spin her bright blue hair in her finger and would seem bored at certain aspects. Alternatively, Trigxbed didn't seem to blink and looked at Zexion and her surroundings as if she would be tested on them later. Tebyhanx caught her repeating Zexion's words under her breath.

All of the tour groups reconvened in one room. She saw Tagahaxa in Vexen's group and seemed to be snickering with two other girls, Xhantia and Nerxi. Elmxuri was in a group with Larxene. Elmxuri didn't make eye contact with Tebyhanx, but it seemed that her blank expression was something that carried over from her life as Muriel. Larxene seemed to be talking in a low tone with her group leader, Marluxia.

Tebyhanx felt something on her shoulder. She turned quickly to see Dienxa standing behind her.

"Hey." Dienxa said with a hint of friendliness in his voice. It was a refreshing point, seeing the cold shoulder she had received from Taghaxa.

"Hi." Tebyhanx responded in an apologetic tone, "I'm sorry I got you involved in all this." Tebyhanx shivered as the words fell from her lips. Was she really sorry at all? Could she be?

"No problem." Dienxa replied generically. "Fate, right? This was meant to happen. It was no coincidence that all five of us from our homeworld survived the attack."

"Six." Tebyhanx corrected.

"What?" Dienxa asked, confused at the abrupt reply.

"Agatha's friend Apollo disappeared a few days before we were attacked. That's him over there." Tebyhanx pointed to the figure with shaved head, Plaxolo, talking to Luxord in the entranceway.

"Wait." Dienxa stopped her, "If he disappeared before we were attacked, how is he ranked lower than us?""What?" Tebyhanx asked. Tebhanx hadn't thought of rank.

"Larxene is number XII. Plaxolo is number XXVIII." Dienxa articulated, "That's a pretty big gap of numbers."

Tebyhanx was about to respond, but Saix emerged in front of Luxord and Xigbar in the doorway of the locked room. He spoke clearly to the full crowd of people. All member of the Organization were present, save for Xemnas and Lexaeus.

"Please enter." Saix stuck out his hand and the door opened. The members filed inside. The room was very bizarre. It was filled with glowing blue doorways that were translucent enough to see through to the other side of the room. The room was made of tiered levels and there were fewer doorways towards the top. At the base of each doorway, there were glowing blue tablets. The top of each doorway was ordained with a numerical, which she correctly guessed corresponded with member's rank. She spotted her number as the last doorway in the third row from the top. The pinnacle of the room was marked with the number I, and was protected by a barely visible bubble, which prevented anyone from proceeding to the other side.

Saix began his speech, "This room is known as the Proof of Existance. It is our markers on this world. When we cease to exist or become whole again, this will be a forever-lasting indication that out Nobody forms did truly exist. There a doorways for each member of this Organization. They were created instantly upon your birth. Each doorway is marked with your Organization rank, title, and weapon. The chamber above this room belongs to our Superior and is off-limits to everyone besides him." Saix gestured to the nearest doorway to his left. "On the other side of this doorway is a chamber specially designed for each of your abilities. Please use it as a training facility. That is all, please proceed to examine your new chamber."

The crowd dispersed. Tebyhanx slowly followed the crowd higher up the rows. She began to turn towards her doorway of the left. "Tebyhanx." A voice said in her ear. It was Saix.

"I heard what happened between you and your friend in the The Room Where Nothing Gathers. Well done." he said.

"Thanks, but I'm not sure we're friends anymore." replied Tebyhanx in a disappointed tone. "Something just feels different now."

"Nobodies don't feel. That's the explanation." he replied tersely. Neither of them said anything, but the room was fully of casual whispers.

"Do you understand what I mean?" Tebyhanx reached.

"Something similar happened to a former friend and I." Saix said. Tebyhanx was going to respond, but Saix abrupted moved up a row of doorways and passed through into the chamber marked with the number VII.

Tebyhanx moved down the row. The room was mostly empty; everyone had passed through to their respective chambers. Tebyhanx saw her doorway. The tablet below the door showed her long staff with the orbiting rings on top.

Tebyhanx took one more look around. The giant man was standing in the entranceway. It was Lexeaus. Tebyhanx turned automatically and stepped through her doorway.


	8. The Debris

The chamber was pure white. It was ordained with numerous Nobody symbols that covered the walls on all sides. Medium sized rectangular windows lined the back wall. The dark abyss of the sky was visible through them. Tebyhanx looked down at her feet and saw herself stare back at her. The marble walkway was so shiny it was reflective. There was a narrow corridor where the doorway ended. Tebyhanx took a dozen step forwards and found herself in the complete oval-shaped room.

The contents of the room confused Tebyhanx as soon as they came into focus. Shards of splintered wood covered the shiny floor. They seemed to be in larger piles as there was room to walk between the masses of discarded material. In the center of the room, there was a potted plant in a large black porcelain flowerpot. The plant contained a single large flower. It had a round flowing bulb in bright crimson red. The lips curled together as the blossom curled and kissed the soil of the pot.

Tebyhanx made a complete circle. The room was an unusual place. What was the purpose of this place? How was her mysterious chamber any different from anyone else's? She remembered that the room was tailored to her exact needs.

As automatically as before, Tebyhanx's orbital staff materialized as quickly as the thought touched her mind. Tebyhanx took a closer look at this strange weapon that had performed strangely when she and Qiunnx had been knocked back. The staff was long and silver and resembled a pipe at first glance. The staff itself fit very smoothly into Tebyhanx's palm; it had been made specifically for her. The gem at top was twice as wide as the radius of the staff itself. The gem was perfectly spherical and was glowing with the purest of white lights. The two silver rings floated ominously around the orb. Every time the two rings looked like they would collide with each other, they would pass seamlessly through the loops they had created. Tebyhanx had to look closely, but the rings themselves were covered in gems themselves. They were hexagonal in shape and were in five different colors: green, red, violet, yellow, and blue. They blinked innocently every time the ring made a full rotation.

Tebyhanx returned her attention to the remnants of the strange wooden structures in the room. She thought about what the staff had done when Taghaxa had lifted her off her feet with her bizarre drum. She raise the position of her grip on the staff. She pointed it at one of the heaps of debris and concentrated. Suddenly, florescent green leaves shot from the end of the staff and evaporated in midair. Shockingly, the wooden splinters levitated off the ground and rose lowly in the air. The smaller pieces spun like a tornado around the center as some the larger pieces motionlessly hovered in the air. Several pieces laid themselves down flat on the ground and formed a large flat square. More shards gather there way on all sides of the horizontal square. They began to build themselves up like a massive robotic jigsaw puzzle. Tebyhanx was entranced by the wooden sounds that were usually accompanied at a demolition site or carpenter's shop. The pieces fell in their destined places and a final slate of wood dropped itself on top of the vertical plates. It had formed a crate.

Tebyhanx looked at the staff she wielded. It was frozen in place with its center gem glowing bright green. As she watched it, the gem faded back into its pure white facade. In front of Tebyhanx was a pristine wooden crate. There was no sign that the cube had ever laid in its degenerate form of discarded scraps. Tebyhanx had reformed the box. She had "healed" it the same way she had healed herself and Qiunnx. Tebyhanx examined the sea of rubble around the lone crate.

She repeated the same process again. The gem of her staff shined brightly in green as Tebyhanx commanded the remains of the crates to return to their former glory. She spun in a full circle and the wooden pieces danced in a furious storm around her. Tebyhanx closed her eyes. The staff could see for her. She could feel the gust of wind caused the debris flying around her. As suddenly as it started, it had stopped. The frenzy of scraps had become the crates that they were destined to be. The transparent green leaves floated above her and disappeared when her gaze fell on them. The gem was glowing in a radiant emerald.

There was a dozen or more crates around her now. The old-fashioned wooden crates didn't compliment the sleek streamlined look of the walls and floor around her. She turned her attention to the flower in the center of the room.

It looked unfazed by the explosion of movement around the bizarre chamber. It sat sadly staring down into its pot and seemed to whisper into the soil. Tebyhanx pointed her staff at the flower. The gem began to glow green and the ghostly green leaves burst from the tip of the staff. However, the flower itself was no effected at all. She tried it again. Nothing. And again. Nothing.

Tebhanx began to feel fatigued. Somehow, the experience had drained her of energy. She pointed the staff once more, but realized that the effort was futile.

"This is your challenge." a familiar voice said behind her.

Tebyhanx spun and saw Saix standing behind one of the closest crates to the doorway corridor. "What do you mean challenge?" Tebyhanx retuned.

"When you can cause the flower to bloom, you have passed the first stage of your training." Saix explained.

"I probably can do it tomorrow." Tebyhanx replied, "I'm just tired from fixing all of these weird crates first."

"I doubt it." Saix answered cynically. Tebyhanx saw Saix staring out of one of the highest windows in the back of the room. "Your curative powers are like nothing we have seen here at the Organization. You could be a great asset to us in the future."

"Could be?" She asked quietly."You are nowhere near as developed as you would need to be to help us in our goal." Saix explained.

"Your goal…" Tebyhanx started slowly, "to become whole again? For me to become whole again?" The idea sounded both reassuring and foreign.

"I'm afraid I can't say more." Saix replied. "I think it would be best for you to return to your room for the evening; the flower will still be here in the morning."

"Fine." Tebyhanx droned complacently as her staff disappeared from her hands and she passed Saix.

"One more thing." Saix asserted. Tebyhanx stopped and turned towards the icy haired man.

"What?" She said without sound distressed.

"Please do not use your abilities outside of this room." Saix ordered sternly. Tebyhanx was aware of the intensity of his voice. "There are other members of this Organization who may not see what I see in you. Clerics like yourself have been creatures of duality. We would not want anyone to get the incorrect idea." Saix paused in his speech. "I hope you continue your efforts tomorrow." He began to walk and passed down the corridor and out of Tebyhanx's sight.

Tebyhanx thought to herself. What did he mean? How can I be a creature of duality? These thoughts filled her head as she robotically left the crate filled room and passed silently through the castle and collapsed in bed. She was greeted with the nothingness of sleep.


End file.
